NEW ORLEANS – The MSU Denver men's cross country is ranked ninth in the South Central Region in the preseason USTFCCCA poll.

The South Central Region is Division II's best cross country region, with multiple national championship contenders every year. The top eight teams in the region are ranked in the top 23 in Division II.

MSU Denver welcomes back both Noel Lopez and JJ Ramey this season – both of them qualified individually for the NCAA Championships last season, the first for the Roadrunners since 2015.

The Roadrunners, who placed 10^th at last year's regional, start their season Saturday at the UCCS Rust Buster.

They'll host to Roadrunners Invitational on Sept. 21 and the South Central Regional on Nov. 9. Both of those races will be Washington Park.